12 Best Foods to Fight Rheumatoid Arthritis

The role of food and nutrition in combating diseases cannot be undermined. Here’s what you should eat to ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition that affects the joints in your body and causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness. This autoimmune disorder occurs in your body when the immune system, which normally attacks foreign substances like viruses and bacteria, mistakenly attacks the tissues of your own body. This condition affects the lining of the bones, which results in a painful inflammation, and can eventually lead to health complications such as joint deformity and bone erosion. In addition to affecting the joints of your hands, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles, at times rheumatoid arthritis can cause problems in other parts of your body, like the eyes, skin, lungs, and blood vessels. The usual signs and symptoms of this disease are tender and inflamed joints, joint stiffness in the morning, fatigue, rheumatoid nodules (bumps of tissue under the skin on your arms), weight loss, and fever.

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis and affects around 1.5 million people in the United States. Although this disease can occur at any age, it most commonly affects people between the ages of 30-60. More women than men are prone to developing rheumatoid arthritis, and men are usually affected by the disease at a later age. Most of the people affected by this health condition do not have any family history of the disease, but you are at an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis if a family member has it.

There is no cure yet for rheumatoid arthritis, but medications and physical therapy can help you get some relief from the pain and keep the symptoms under control. In addition, proper diet and nutrition can significantly help your body to fight the symptoms of this painful disease. Eating a well-balanced diet not only helps minimize the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but improves your overall health as well. Here are 12 such foods that can help you fight rheumatoid arthritis and bring relief from the pain and inflammation that people with this disease experience.

1. Fish and Fish Oil

Fish is a great source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, substances that prevent the process of nutrient conversion responsible for inflammation in your body. This is one of the best inflammation-fighting foods, and is highly recommended for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Among the other health benefits of fish is that it helps in controlling cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular diseases. Fish that are rich in omega-3 include salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and trout, and you should consume at least 3-4 ounces of these fish twice a week to effectively fight the inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Also, fish oil supplements can be beneficial to you as studies show that it can ease symptoms such as morning stiffness and relieve tenderness in the joints.

2. Coriander

This green herb, found commonly in households and used in a variety of cuisines, is believed to bring relief from the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. According to a study that was published in the Indian Journal of Research, researchers injected two groups of rats that had symptoms similar to rheumatoid arthritis with either steroid or a powder made from coriander seeds. After a period of 21 days, the rats that were injected with coriander powder displayed significantly less inflammation and swelling as compared to the other group.

3. Ginger

This root, used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, has long been recognized for its various healing properties. Ginger contains certain chemicals that work similar to anti-inflammatory medicines that are prescribed to people with rheumatoid arthritis. Consuming a few slices of fresh ginger every day can help ease your pain and inflammation to a considerable extent. However, ginger can work as a blood thinner, so in case you are already on blood-thinning medicines, avoid taking ginger until you talk to your doctor.

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